Another book done - Arcadia

I finished another book on my summer reading list. I probably should have finished it a while ago, but I just find myself so busy all the time. There just aren't enough hours in the day. Anyway, I finished Arcadia, a play by Thomas Stoppard, a couple of days ago. The only thing I didn't like about this is the fact that I don't know if I'll ever be able to see it performed. This is a brilliant piece of work by an innovative playwright.

I don't want to give too much away, but the play centers on Sidley Park, an English country house. The play juxtaposes the inhabitants that lived there in 1809 with the ones that presently (1989) live there.

The plot and characters are very interesting, but I especially loved all of the ideas the play brings up. The play really delved into the subjects of math and physics, which I normally hate, but I was enthralled by them in the context of this play. The whole idea of time and how it moves was very interesting. There are underlying themes of romanticism vs classicism, chaos theory vs. determinism, nihilism and lust. I especially loved how the play brought up the question of what is knowledge through two academics who are pitted against each other. One is a scientist and mathematician while the other is a professor of literature. I could go on and on about the ideas it discussed, but you should really pick it up and read it for yourself.

Peace,

Kim